14th of March to 9th of July, 2021.
For the second time during my travels, I celebrate my birthday in the UK. This time in Scotland. One of the local guys working at my cottage, gives me a cake and some sweets! How kind! They are all very nice actually. Very friendly and hospitable. We have a very nice dinner at T. and N.’s cottage. Their son is also spending some time in the Isle for some weeks so we all have a nice evening together. They give me a beautiful key hold to remind me of Lewis.
By the end of April, I get the first dose of my vaccine against Covid-19. Yeah, baby! Because nobody can leave the country without an imperative reason (mine is holidays, so nope!), the government decided to vaccinate everybody for free. And honestly I am quite happy to get mine. Not only for the travels purpose.
(I hear so many people complaining and refusing to take it. Which is OK because we should be free to choose. But when I hear that it is a way of controlling people and even hear the word “microchip” in these conversation I cannot believe it. My opinion is: we are all under surveillance already. We are all in the system. Even I who do not have a phone or a bank account. But I do have a email account. People put and use their data everywhere all the time. People are manipulated to do this and that, to act like this and like that all the time, they are all clones and robot already, they just don’t know yet. Or don’t want to admit. Another thing I hear a lot is: if there are so many other diseases who kill a lot of people, even the ordinary flu, why should we get vaccinated to this one, taking the risk, when the period of trial for the results was so short? Well, I believe it is because we can. If we can do something to stop / reduce the number of people dying everyday, all over the globe, why not to? There are other things which kill people in a much higher average, like alcohol, drugs and car accidents. Now tell me: how many times per day do you get in your car to go somewhere? Do you think about the chances of you dying on it before getting in?)
We all have to go back to the main land, for a few weeks, so we move out everything from T.’s future ex-house but also from a another room, full of their stuff, which their were renting just nearby the house. I am leaving with T. and N. for this time, so we are all eating and cooking together.
For different reasons, but also because T. and N. wanted for me to see the Isle of Sky, we take its route to the mainland. It is whole day trip but it totally worth it. The way is absolutely gorgeous! Not only Sky itself, but once you get in mainland, the landscape and the mountains are breathtaking. I absolutely loved and totally recommend to anyone who want to appreciate Scotland landscape from a different perspective.
It is a very hectic time. We work basically all they long and still cooking after that. I do like to do this kind of things, sorting out and packing stuff, but it is way too many hours and I am very tired. But we are in a rush. T. have to give the house; she rented a van to take things to Lewis and we have only one week with it; she bought the ferry tickets in advance so we would not be stuck in here. Lots of things. But I do see my first Highland cows! Yay!
I am the first one to come back to the Island for good. And the main reason is because I have my eye appointment. Yeah! Because it is for free, I decided to take it and to buy some new glasses because my current ones are so scratched that I can barely see it throw. Everybody came back a few days later. Walking down the little road to the cottage is very pleasant and when I see the cottage is like coming back home.
My first job when I am back is leaning wallpaper. I am doing for the first time and all by myself. I watch a few videos on Youtube and that is it. At the beginning I am a bit scared of the responsibility and even think that T. was being crazy of asking me to do it. But then I realize that it is not such a big deal. It is not the easiest job to do it, and you have to be very careful, but it is possible. In the end, T. and everybody else was surprised with the quality of my work. Yay!
Soon after that the couple from South England, who was helping T. in the main land for quite a while, now come to the Isle. They will be leaving with me. They are really nice and friendly, and we have a great time together. They help me with the all paper too so we manage to finish everything faster. And we always have good laughs when we are working together.
The little cottage starts to look great from inside too! The wallpaper in all the rooms and halls gives a wonderful upgrade to it! I also painted the cabinets upstairs, all in white (they were this horrible strong varnished brown), which gives so much light to the place. Bathroom is also finished, all white, and it looks fantastic!
For N.’s 70th birthday, T. made reservation in this super nice restaurant, which stands in a hill overseeing the beautiful beach of Uig. The place is very nice, little people, friendly staff, good food plus great wine. It is a very nice evening. And the funniest thing it happened by the end of our dinner: when T. asks for the bill, the waitress come to the table and hand a receipt to N. while saying: “You bills has been taken care from someone in the Cayman Islands. Wow! I felt like in a James Bond movie. The things is, T.’s daughters, who are living in Cayman, arranged everything before to be responsible for the bill. Very nice!
Only a few weeks before I leave, we start to rebuild the kitchen. Walls and floor coming out. It become a big mess and we have to improve a new kitchen in the second room downstairs, in the back. Apart of the mess, dust, and inconvenience of having to move food from one place to another to cook, J. And H. tell me that this substance behind the walls it is not good for you, and you should actually be living in the place when this material it is exposed. Now, apart for this last topic, which could be risky, I am OK with the rest. You know me, I have lived under such bad circumstances before, or just camping, so for me anything what is liveable is fine. But H. and J. get really upset with the whole situation (plus some other things) and they decide to leave some weeks early than the deal they had with T. before. Unfortunately, they even have n argument a few days before they leave.
After a lot of wondering about which country should I go after here, I figure that the best decision would be France. My plan, originally, was to leave here in May. But because for many months nobody could leave the country, because I had to get the second dose of my vaccine and that had to happen at least 14 days before I arrive in France, I was only able to leave in the 9th of July. Luckily, the government organized a special section to be responsible for the Visas issues which people like me were having. So I was legally remaining for more than 6 months in the UK. Which was great!
I find a host in France and get everything ready. Finally I will leave the UK after almost 8 months. And the best part is: I will travel again!
